November 20th, 2017 1:35 PM

Body

This damn vegan thing… I’m telling you so for real that I really want to be about this guys! Yet as much as I try, the more the cravings exist and the more hot dogs I’m knocking down at 2:00 AM on Hollywood BLVD. Now here’s the deal, if you’ve been eating meat your entire life – it’s not going to be easy to just stop. And you may have every wonderful intention to cleanse your body and re-charge your system, but your cravings are not going to just go anywhere. And turning vegan/vegetarian isn’t just going to happen overnight. It’s going to take time!

But the more you can be mindful of your eating and really investigate how certain things make you feel, the more you can make change. Like anything else, awareness is key. Do I really think I’m going to live a vegan lifestyle? At this point in my life, I really don’t. But I do believe I am going to make every mindful move possible to start transitioning into a much heavier plant-based diet, and limiting my animal-based foods to healthy chicken + fish. Processed foods do not make your mind/body flourish. And there is so much evidence that animal-based foods do make you more exhausted and heavy. And I believe that! But the minute you make something off limits, your body somehow figures it out and does everything possible to get chya’ back on the train.

So perhaps don’t red-flag everything…leave it open. But monitor how your feeling, listen to your bodies cues, and experiment! See how you feel after a large meal consisting of meat vs. a granola bow, see how you feel limiting your meat to some ahi tuna vs. fried chicken, and see how you feel knowing that nothing is “off limits” but that the more clean/green you eat – the healthier you are, and who doesn’t want that? Y

Mind

ACT-OPPOSITE. When we are in a certain mood/groove – it’s very difficult to just “get out of it.” Spending hours at home relaxing, in a sea of blankets, with a warm cup of coffee and freedom to do or not do anything you’d like. Ugh! It’s extraordinary. But how much comfort is too much comfort? Alike this visualization, that has been me. Staying in a beautiful home, with amazing speakers and access to nearly every TV station/media source. The world is big! And Los Angeles can be intimidating (*pft pft no surprise there). But what’s even more intimidating is when you find yourself spending so much time in the comfort of your home, that leaving it seems overwhelming. It is then that life seems to build smaller, getting outside and thrusting yourself in new environments, etc. seems more of a task. And perhaps you find yourself in a state of.. for lack of a better word.. blah.

That’s when you’ve gotta do something different. Because whatever it is that you may be doing – just isn’t working! And with mindsets such as depression, anxiety, etc., sometimes you just can’t think your way out of them. So staying at your apartment trying to read up on positive psychology and happiness, may just be adding to the stress of why you aren’t totally happy, and then adding a guilt factor as to how your working SO hard to be happy, but just can’t seem to be happy. Make sense?

That’s when it’s time to get up! Leave the house. Post up at a new coffee spot, reach out to someone you’ve been wanting to connect with but have been opting out of as you’ve been hibernating, and get going. Because life will not just give you what you want. What it will do however, is help get you where you want, but only if your out there and available. And once again, alone time is great! And so necessary. But just be sure to check in with yourself and your intentions, and be able to isolate if that alone time is recharging, or protecting. And if its protecting, understand that there is nothing like fighting depression or anxiety, than freaking getting out there and doing it! Act opposite, trust yourself, and get outside of your comfort zone. Because that is truly where life begins again.

Time / Responsibilities

Money 101 – YOU ARE NOT A KARDASHIAN (yet). So my beautiful wonderful rockin’ ass rockstar woman Ariana, we gotta be more mindful! To my ladies and gentleman out there with a killer taste for good food, great atmospheres, and treating yourself, I am right there with you. And fully believe that you have every right (if you’re working hard and getting out there) – to indulge at times and live your best life. However, there are definitely limits. And I have definitely not pushed them. And I definitely know that. And I definitely am sure that is a core root for feeling guilty of my so called “adultness”.

And it is okay! We all have to learn in our own ways. But awareness is key and I think that the more we can approach the situation from a self-loving and compassionate, and also humors way, the more we can truly grow. Moreover, are $22 glasses of wine on Sunday evenings necessary? Hellllllll no my friends! Was it lovely, of course! $10 meals here and there, $4 coffees, $150 groceries. I get it! Sometimes we’re just living and spending and not even thinking about how it all adds up. But we must now, as we are growing.

And I can only imagine how empowering it may be to track these finances, see where you can save money, and feel responsible about your spending habits and ability to treat yourself. But understand it takes time. Watching your spending, working on budgeting, all of that is essential. All of that, I have somehow managed to not really focus on being in LA. All of that, so imperative to success and development. So! On this beautiful Monday, I’m really going to make an intention about watching these little expenses. Maybe even writing/logging things down, and start looking at ways to save and be smarter with my spending.

No, it’s not easy. No, it’s not fun. No, it’s glamorous. But no, we aint ballin’ yet. So sit down, be humble, save that cash, and enjoy the little things in life. Pop up at your favorite spot but instead of ordering food and wine, just grab a glass. Instead of getting coffee and brunch, start with a snack. Write it down and bask in the ever-loving glory of self-control and self-improvement.